Assam flood situation improves marginally, 85 deaths so far

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that of the 24.30 lakh persons still affected, around 15.77 lakh are in Goalpara (459,010), Barpeta (337,112), Morigaon (334,828), Dhubri (253,612), and South Sakmara (191,993) districts.

Forest Department and ASDMA officials said that at least 113 animals have been killed in floodwater, and 140 animals rescued even as 95 per cent of the world-famous Kaziranga National Park, home to more than 2,200 one-horned Indian rhinoceros, still remained flooded.

The officials said that the flood -- which has inundated the state for over a month now -- had resulted in 85 deaths so far in Kamrup (Metro), Baksa, South Salmara, Darrang, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, wheereas 26 others were killed in separate landslides since May 22.

According to the ASDMA officials Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Kopili, Beki, Kushiyara and the mighty Brahmaputra rivers are flowing above the danger mark in many places in nine districts.

Over 2,254 villages and 109,600 hectares of crop area in 24 districts have been inundated.

The district administrations have set up 468 relief camps and distribution centres in 24 districts, where around 48,200 men, women and children have taken shelter.

Of the 24 districts across Assam, 12 districts -- Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, South Sakmara, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nalbari, Kamrup (Rural), Nagaon, Golaghat -- are the worst-hit.

Besides erosion of river banks at a large number of places, roads, embankments, bridges, culverts and other infrastructure were damaged at many locations in 24 districts, the ASDMA officials said, adding that hundred of houses were fully or partially damaged due to the flood.

Around 19.8 lakh domesticated animals and over 13 lakh poultry birds were affected due to floodwater.

Besides Kaziranga National Park, located on the edge of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas and R.G. Orang national parks, the Pabitora wildlife and the Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected.